Question from a client: Can you ask for a referral from someone you never worked with? The short answer to your question is yes, you can certainly ask for a referral from someone you haven’t actually worked with. In fact, Peleg says most of the people who spontaneously pass his name along have never been…

From a networking standpoint, conferences that last a few days are much better than a luncheon or even a full day seminar. Not only do you get to meet people, but you get to spend a little time getting to know them — and letting them get to know you. That’s what happened earlier this…

Like most of us doing business these days, I’m a big fan of the PDF. They’re quick, fast and, if you’re obsessed with slapping your logo on everything (fax cover sheets! invoices! estimates!), they’re a cheap way to brand in four-color. But sending everything electronically has a downside, too. I’ve noticed that emailed invoices tend…

Here’s a great resource we learned about from Roger C. Parker (author of Design to Sell), at the AWAI Bootcamp last week: amazingmail.com is a direct mail service that allows you to print and send personalized postcards. Send one card or one thousand. All you do is create the design, add your message, select the…

I’m a huge fan of what I call "mind jogs": tools that serve as ‘hacks’ to stimulate creative thinking and get me out of my rut. I even keep a folder full of them on my browser toolbar (like the online version of The Creative Whack Pack, a wiki with one guy’s summaries of great…